Just got a 01 gs430! and im new to the lexus scene. i was thinking of lowering the car but without sacrificing a lot of ride comfort. i was wondering if someone could tell me the pro and cons of some the springs/shocks out on the market. like how low will it lower the car and how is the ride?

 

first, congrats and welcome

your choice:

1.l-tune pkg ~1" drop very mild, ~$550. a bit firmer ride than stock

2.eibach springs+bilsteins sport shocks, ~1.25"drop, about the same ride , may be a little more firmer. ~$675

3.HR springs+bilsteins ~1.5" drop, more aggressive look and ride quality.~700

4.or if your budget allows, get the coil-overs(springs and shocks inone unit). they are height adjustible, but in general more stiff. ~$1200-1800

the good part of choosing the bilsteins is that the shocks come w/lifetime warranty.

there are really no cons on either of these pkgs. i can only describe them according to my feeling on diff members' rides. the best thing to do is try to find a person w/mods like any of the above choice, adn decide for yourself.

also go back to as many old posts as you can, we have discussed this topic extensively.
need any more help, just say the word....

william

 

Welcome to the site!

I just got the L-Tuned springs/shocks/ecu installed on my 430. I loved the ride of the stock gs. Real smooth. That was my main concern when making this change. Luckily I was able to hook up with another member here that let me test out his car w/ the same setup....thx Scott! Anyway, the ride is a bit stiffer. Not as soft as stock. You'll feel the road more, but the car still has a very solid feel. By no means uncomfortable.

Difference in handling is night and day. Corners like a champ!

What it came down to for me was that the difference in handling greatly outweighed the difference in ride, and has made the purchase worthwhile. Love the upgrade!

Rich

 

well...im assuming that ride comfort of the l-tuned, eibach/bilstein and h&r/bilstein are basically the same...now im just trying to figure out which look i want. can some people post some pics of their rides with the suspension or give me their own opinion on how each set up looks on their car?

 

BLIU's siganiture has a blk gs4 with HR+bilsteins

bitagawa(not sure about the spelling)'s sig has a silver l-tune pkgsetup. take a look at their rides for ref.

 

also does each suspension set lower the front and back of the car the same amount or different amounts?

 

H&R front 1.4" , rear 1.3"

Eibach 1" front, 1" rear

L-tuned 1.25" front, a little under an inch in the rear.

 

I have a GS 430 on order and plan to do the L-Tuned suspension (and ecu if it's not the same). From what I've read here the L-Tuned suspension is the mildest choice of the three...and it's warranteed...thus my choice.

I'll leave it to others here to expand more on the differences.

 

I think the L-Tuned would have the best ride comfort because it's the softest setup. Though stiffer, I enjoyed the eibach/bilstein combo when I had it.

 

ive been told that the l-tune springs lower the car either 1" or 1.25" and the eibach lowers it 1" or 1.25"... can someone give me a definite answer. also can i get an opinion on which spring makes the car look better?

 

Well, the lower the springs , the more aggressive it looks. More aggressive looks better but too low u will have some rubbing probs.

 

L-Tuned lowered my car right around an inch front and back.

As far as what looks 'better', that's a) subjective, and b) depends on what else you do to the car. For example, a significantly lowered look with stock 16" or 17" wheels looks terrible, in my subjective opinion (IMSO? ).

The L-Tuned looked ok with my 17s, but I think it looks better with the 18s I have now. On the other hand, some people put on 20s with bigger overall tire diameter, and it looks great even without lowering IMSO.

You just need to look at cars yourself (there's a $#!+load in the gallery) and see what you like.

 

right now i have stock 16" wheels and i dont plan on upgrading til next year (not enough cash yet). would lowering the car now look weird?

also i wish in the gallery would contain the mods done to the cars in the pic. i cant tell which car has what suspension or wheels.